Refrigerating apparatus



Dec., i9, 19. G. M. ARMSTRONG 365,373 REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 1, 1941 Patented V19, i944` l REFRIGERATING APPARATUS George M. Armstrong, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignor to Nash-Kelvlnator Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation ol' Maryland Application August 1, 1941, sei-m1 N0. 404,995

4 Claims.

rl"his invention relates to refrigerating apparatus, and more particularly to suppOrting refrigerator inner liners used in connection with such apparatus.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide l a new and improved arrangement for supporting an inner liner within a refrigerator cabinet.

Another object of my invention is to provide for supporting an inner liner having a coating of vitreous enamel, such as porcelain, in a refrigerator cabinet in such a manner that it is retained in position about the forward edge of the liner in a rigid manner so that shocks due to closing of the refrigerator door etc. do not tend tochip the porcelain of the said liner.

" Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical view in elevation partly `broken away and showing features of my in- In suspending a refrigerant cabinet inner'liner it has been found desirable to support the liner solely about the forward edge thereof. It is common practice to coat these liners with vitreous enamel, such as porcelain, and when undue strains or stresses are applied to the liner the porcelain would have a tendency to chip. VAccordingly, the liner must be supported about its forward edge in such va manner that such strains and stresses caused by slamming of the refrigerator cabinet door or other stresses do not cause chipping of the porcelain.

In accordance with my invention, I provide for supporting the liner at each of the four corners at the front part of the liner. This ls accomplished by providing a flange on the liner about its forward edge and by securing to this ange ears at each of the four forward corners, which ears are backed up by angular brackets having one end thereof secured to the ears and the opposite end thereof secured to the liner proper. These angular brackets so reinforce the ears as to provide a rigid supporting arrangement which serves to avoid the chipping of the porcelain from the corners of the liner due to strains and stresses upon the liner due to shock and door slamming.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a cabinet, designated in general by the numeral 20. The cabinet includes an outer casing 24 which is formed to provide top and side walls of the cabinet, and also is provided with a portion 26 which is bent around the front of the 'cabinet to provide the front wall thereof. The casing or shell 24 is formed of metal and in addition to forming the front wall includes a portion 2B which is a continuation of the portion 28 and is bent back upon the portion 26 to reinforce the front wall. The metal also continues with portions 3l) and 3|, with the portion 30 being bent in engagement with the outer side and top walls of the cabinet to add additional reinforcement for the front wall. The portion 3| extends inwardly into the cabinet and cooperates with the portion .28 to form a pocket Extending diagonally across the corners of the cabinet are gussets 38 which are secured on their cured to the gussets by screws 50. Between the ears 48 and gussets 38 are provided soft rubber insulating members 54 so as to preventthe conduction of heat from the gussets 38 to ears 48.

Preferably, the liner is coated with vitreous enamel, such as porcelain. In view of the fact that the liner is supported by the ears 48 positioned at each of the four corners of the forward edge of the liner, there is a possibility of jarring of the cabinet and door slamming which would tend to cause the ears 48 to chip or crack lthe porcelain at the forward corners of the liner. In order to overcome this difficulty, I have provided angular supporting brackets which has one end secured to a respective ear 48 and the opposite end secured to liner 4U, such, for example, as by welding. The angular brackets 60 are beaded as at 64 to increase the strength thereof. It will thus be noted that any tendency to cause the liner to move about within the casing 24 or slamming of the door of the cabinet would not permit the ears 48 to bend and thus cause cracking or chipping of the porcelain of the liner. The angular bracket 60 thus supports the ears 48 in a one edge extending in pocket 8f3 and the opposite edge may be secured tothe cabinet in any suitable manner.

The front part of the cabinet is closed by a door I4 which may be of any suitable construction and preferably carries gasket 'it in engagement with the portion 2B about the front of the cabinet to seal the front part of the cabinet from exterior air.A

Any suitable refrigerating system may be ernployed for refrigerating the cabinet 2@ and may include an evaporator ad positioned within a food storage compartment t2. The food compartment 82 is formed by liner im.

From the fOlegOing, it will be readily apparent that l havelprovided for supporting an inner liner by an outer casing about the forward edge of the liner in a simple and inexpensive manner, by merely inserting ears on each of the four forward corners of the liner and supporting these ears by angular brackets which are secured to the ears and liner proper so as to prevent bending of the ears and to avoid chipping of the porcelain about the forward edge of each of the corners of the liner. It will also be noted that vent the conduction of heat between the gussets and the ears.

Although only a preferred form of the invention has been illustrated, and that form described in detail. it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a refrigerator cabinet construction the combination with a casing and liner disposed within the casing, said casing and liner forming a substantially rectangular food compartment having a rectangular access opening at the front of the cabinet, said casing and linerhaving edge portions bent at an angle thereto and forming flanges which flanges extend toward each other in spaced relation and substantially surrounding said access opening, gusset members extending across the corners of said casing and secured to the flanges thereof, ears extending across the corners of the liner` and secured to the flange of the liner and each ear being disposed across the face of a gusset, means for connecting the ears and gussets together for supporting the liner within the casing, and angular brackets disposed at the corners of the liner and secured to the outer wall thereof to the rear of said flanges, said brackets extending laterally from said liner into engagement with and secured to said ears substantially centrally of said ears for reinforcing the ears and flange of said liner.

2. In a refrigerator cabinet construction the combination with a casing and a liner disposed within the casing, said casing and liner forming a substantially rectangular food compartment having a rectangular access opening at the front of the cabinet, said casing and liner having edge portions bent at an angle theretoand forming ilanges which flanges extend toward each other in spaced relation and substantially surrounding said access opening, gusset members extending across the corners of said casing and secured to the flanges thereof, ears extending across the corners of the liner and secured to the flange of the liner and each ear being disposed across a face of a gusset, resilient means interposed between the gussets and ears, means Afor connecting the ears and gussets together for supporting the liner within the casing, and angular brackets disposed at thev corners of the liner and secured to the outer wall thereof to the rear of said flange, said brackets extending laterally from said liner into engagement with and secured to said ears substantially centrally of said ears for reinforcing the ears and flange of said liner.

3. In a refrigerator cabinet construction the combination with a casing and liner disposed within thecasing, said casing and liner forming a substantially rectangular food compartment having a rectangular access opening at the front Vof the cabinet, said casing and liner having edge portions bent at an angle thereto and forming flanges which flanges extend toward each other in spaced relation and substantially surrounding said access opening, gusset members extending across the corners f said casing and secured to the flanges thereof, ears extending across the corners of the liner and secured to the liner and each ear being disposed across the face of a gusset, means for connecting the ears and gussets together for supportingthe liner within the casing, and angular brackets disposed at the corners of the liner and secured to the outer wall thereof to the rear of said flanges, said brackets extendsaid access opening, gusset members extending across the corners of said casing and secured to the flanges thereof, ears extending across the corners of the liner and secured to the liner and each ear being disposed across a face of a gusset, resilient means interposed between the gussets and ears, means for connecting the ears and gussets together for supporting the liner within the casing, and angular brackets disposed at the cor- .ners of the liner and secured to the outer wall thereof to the rear of said flange, said brackets extending laterally from said liner into engagement with and secured to said ears substantially centrally of said ears for reinforcing the ears and flange of said liner.

GEORGE MQ ARMSTRONG. 

